Čertovka, Prague

Čertovka is a narrow canal threading through Malá Strana, with Kampa set apart by its water. Its current enters through a passage from the Vltava and returns to that river after 740 metres, a compact loop that makes the city feel unusually close to the water. Trace the channel between the buildings: this intimate setting is known as Little Prague Venice, because the water runs directly alongside the urban fabric.

The channel was shaped in the medieval period by the Knights of Malta to manage water for local mills. Three mills remain, and the wooden wheel beside the Velkopřevorský Mill is still preserved. Look toward the bridges crossing the channel and the mill structures beside the water; they reveal that this is not merely a picturesque waterway, but working infrastructure with a long history.

The name Čertovka is probably connected to a house called “At the Seven Devils,” though another explanation links it to a local tale about a devilish woman near Maltese Square. Film crews have also used the canal and its surroundings, including for Amadeus and Mission Impossible.